Police Minister denies farm murders by not declaring these priority crimes

30 May 2018

“Despite more than 195 farm attacks this year, Bheki Cele, Minister of Police, still refuses to declare farm murders priority crimes. This silence and apathy is indicative that Government is in fact deprioritising farm murders and attacks as crimes,” says Ian Cameron, AfriForum’s Head of Safety.

Cameron argues that the State and especially the Minister’s denial of the seriousness of farm attacks and murders in the country indicates that they pay no heed to the extent of the crisis. Cele declared taxi violence, political murders, transit heists and gang violence priority crimes. However, he did not even mention farm murders.   

“Yesterday I visited the scene where Fanie (78) and Colleen (74) Engelbrecht were brutally tortured and murdered on 13 May this year. Colleen was burned with a clothing iron, before she was strangled and her throat cut. This is but one of the striking example of a family that was destroyed because of the State’s inability to protect people in rural areas,” Cameron concludes.

Issued by Natasha Venter, Media Relations Officer, AfriForum, 30 May 2018